Part 5: PFOX tries to use Proof #1 (Concl.): that
homosexuality cannot be genetic because
sometimes
one identical twin will be gay & the
other
not
gay, even though having identical genes.

Reactions to the PFOX "Nobody is born gay" bulletin board (Continued):

Virginians protest the PFOX billboard:

Hundreds of people assembled at the Gay Community Center of Richmond to demonstrate their opposition to the PFOX bulletin board.

Among those present at the demonstration were

Terra Courtland who said that it is important for gay families to:

"... show we’re just like everybody else, just trying to raise our kids and live here."

Jason Coast, a straight ally of the LGBT equality movement, said:

“if some of us are being discriminated against, then we all are." 13

The Gay Community Center of Richmond (GCCR) responded with billboards of their own:

The GCCR arranged to have a group photograph taken of 400 volunteers who are supporters of LGBT acceptance. They were mainly rounded via social medai. The billboards state: "We are all born to love" and includes a listing of the URL of the GRCC's web site. The message was displayed on two Richmond VA area billboards on I-64 and I-96 which were donated by Lamar Advertising. This is the same company that continued to displayed the PFOX message elsewhere in the city. 12

Jean Ann Esselink, writing for The New Civil Rights Movement, said:

"Unlike the PFOX billboard, the pro-tolerance billboard is digital, so it will run on a ten-second cycle as one of six advertisers. The message runs 24/7, which means it is visible about 1300 times a day -- as will the pro-gay messages on other billboards that are coming soon. Because -- here's the most satisfying part of this project -- the ads are running free of charge.

Lamar, the company that owns the electronic billboard running the GCCR message of love, has a policy of partnering with nonprofits. If Lamar doesn't sell all its ad space, they donate it, which they offered to do for the GCCR ad on I-95, and will soon do in other places where they have unsold ad time.

When will groups like PFOX learn? Love always wins in the end." 14

Bill Harrison, the executive director of GCCR, said:

"This gave a lot of people the opportunity to send a very clear message that Richmond is a welcoming city. Once again the opposition gave us a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness. The other billboard hurt lots of folks, I think especially people 50 and older, many of us who had fought our sexual orientation for years. We know firsthand the dangers that can bring. ... other billboards are under design now." 12

He also said:

"We are so proud as to how our community rallied to address this issue. This ordeal has been an excellent way to raise awareness of the possible harms of so called reparative therapy." 14

"The ACLU of Virginia believes that the most appropriate response to speech that offends is more speech. The billboard is a great example of this, and the message that we are all born to love is perfect. I was honored to be among the hundreds of people who were at the Gay Community Center for the photo shoot."

Sponsored link

State Delegate Patrick Hope announces bill in Virginia Legislature:

In a development that is possibly related to the PFOX bulletin board and controversy over reparative therapy State Delegate Patrick Hope announced that he plans to introduce a bill to the 2015 General Assembly to ban ex-gay therapy on minors within Virginia. Similar laws have already been passed into law in New Jersey, California, and Washington, DC. 13

They stress that homosexuals can "change" and "leave the homosexual life" or lifestyle. But they are generally vague about what type of change actually happens.

When she refers to "homosexuals" and "homosexuality" she does not appear to be referring to individuals with a homosexual orientation. She is referring to only persons who actively engage in same-gender sexual behavior.

A sexually active person with a bisexual orientation who engages in same-gender sexual behavior is considered to be practicing the "homosexual lifestyle."

A person with a bisexual orientation who simply makes a decision to seek relationships only with members of the opposite sex is considered to have left the homosexual lifestyle and become an "ex-gay," even though their sexual orientation and their sexual attraction to persons of the same sex remain unchanged.

A person who has a homosexual orientation and who makes the decision to remain celibate for the rest of their life without an intimate relationship is considered to have left the homosexual lifestyle and to be an "ex-gay," even though their sexual orientation and their sexual attraction to persons of the same sex remain unchanged.

People promoting reparative therapy rarely if ever say that their clients will be able to change their sexual orientation, only their behavior.

Sponsored link:

About reparative therapy:

In summary, it appears, from the available evidence, that all or essentially all clients that engage in reparative therapy enter with a homosexual or bisexual orientation and leave with their orientation unchanged. However, as a result of the therapy, some gays and lesbians decide to be celibate for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, some clients who are bisexual decide to ignore their feelings of sexual attraction to members of the same sex, and seek relationships only with persons of the opposite sex. Studies have shown that some clients are emotionally damaged by the therapy and become depressed at being unable to change their basic nature to match their expectations. Some develop suicidal ideation, and a few commit suicide.

However, it is rarely discussed that some clients have the exact opposite experience. They have often entered therapy as a last resort, having tried every other method to change their sexual orientation. After they fail again at their goal to become straight, they sometimes realize that they have no other option but to accept their fundamental nature as unchangeable. Their mental health generally improves greatly at this point, and they become mentally and emotionally healthy lesbians, gays or bisexuals.